Enter Procyon
by Jet556
Summary: Sequel to The Savage Heart. Hattanzo, formerly known as the Drifter meets Gard and the two work together to bring an end to the reign of terror of Gard's brother, Procycon. However Procyon's bloodlust causes diplomacy to not be an option.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome back! With this story I bring into creation Gard's elder brother Procyon, whom believe it or not is more or less what Gard was originally going to be until everyone felt compassion for him. So without further wait, I bring to you "Enter Procyon".**

Gard walked along the dusty road. Throughout his head thoughts raced. He thought about when he parted from the ThunderCats and the road he was currently on.

His elder brother Procyon was a different person. He had a lust for blood and women with both unfortunately going hand in hand. All his life, Procyon had dreams of a "Master Race", believing that he was the one to bring that dream to life. Enslave the other races the other skin colors of his race create one "perfect" race, a race of gods.

Gods.

Gard seemed to live in a world of Gods and Monsters. Gard knew he was not a monster but he knew he was not a god either. What was he? A savage, was he more beast than man? That was how his race, the evabon, was treated.

Gard stopped thinking about those things when he saw a town in sight. He quickened his pace but then slowed down when he saw strange mockeries of his race. They were tall, about nine feet tall, with broad and powerful shoulders and skulls that were thick and blunt. Their eyes were small and black and their lower jaws were massive and bearing great tusks. There skin was gold. Gold was one of the many skin colors of the evabon as was peach, red, blue, black, brown, gray, green, white, pink, violet and even yellow.

They looked strange to Gard. There was no family resemblance between any of them so how was it that they all had golden skin? He watched as these gold skins all walked the town, threatening the non-evabon inhabitants. At the sight of this Gard walked into the town, his gray skin catching the attention of the gold skinned mockeries. One of them, a brutish fellow, walked towards Gard with an animalistic look in his eyes.

"Small gray skin!" rumbled the brute. Gard looked at the marauder with a lack of interest. The lack of interest caused this ogre-like evabon to become anger. "Who you?" Gard looked at the marauder with a hint of humor. This fellow wasn't that bright.

"I'm Gard." Stated the old savage matter of factly. "Now go run home to hide behind your mother!" The townspeople all looked at Gard, not knowing if he was telling the truth or not. The brute roared in anger.

"You think me dumb?" Gard's face was a serious one when that question was asked. He looked around and then looked back at the brute.

"I don't think anyone thinks you're a genius." Gard had a deadpan expression on his face. This very comment made the townspeople laugh. This further enraged the brute.

"You not master's brother!" This response caught Gard off guard. That alone was odd. "Me not know what do with people who say they master's brother. We leave and come back when we know what do!" The brute walked away, leaving the town, the rest of the gold skins leaving him. Gard watched as they left.

A world of Gods and Monsters, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**An interesting fact about this story, I was originally going to have to be the Petalars, then the Berbils, even the Elephants which would have been funny, but I ultimately thought that by having Gard interact with the Drifter it would prove more interesting.**

**The Drifter**

Gard watched as his brethren left the town. He was expecting thanks for sending the raiders away but instead he got something else. The people threw stones and rotten food at him. He heard things like "The only good evabon is a dead one!" Instantly, Gard ran from the town. The townspeople were not his enemies it was his brother's acts that had caused this treatment.

Gard ran to a stream he immediately began to wash the blood from his body. The stones had been hard and sharp, there was blood coming from his body and some of the stones were stuck in his body.

"Need a hand there?" Gard turned his head to see some long-eared thing. "If you don't then I don't care." Gard looked at the swords the stranger was carrying on a shield. One of them looked familiar.

"I'm fine." Gard looked at the swords in interest. "That's quite the collection you've got there."

"Not mine." Stated the rabbit. "These belonged to someone known as the duelist, I'm returning these swords to their rightful owners."

"Then that must be the Drifter." Gard pulled a stone out of his right heel and threw it into the stream. "I've been around for a long time, I've met quite a few duelists and drifters. Of course, if we're going by codenames then you can just call me the Savage."

"Is that so?" The Drifter walked over to Gard and pulled a stone out of the back of his left shoulder. Gard had not noticed the stone. He gave the Drifter a thankful glance. "I'm not going to question how many of us you've met or what… codename you use, I'm just wondering what you're doing out here."

"Looking for my brother." Gard stood up and grabbed one of the swords. "Thought this looked familiar." The sword was in no way a work of art but it was incredibly sharp with a curved blade. "This belonged to Migro, and old friend of mine long since buried."

"Well then in that case it's yours." The Drifter began to walk away. "The road calls, maybe I'll see you again." Gard laughed, knowing drifters he would meet this one again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Truth and Lies**

That night, Gard crept back to the village. He was hungry and he was not in the mood for poorly cooked meat. Gard walked towards an inn. The properly cooked food smelled wonderful to him.

Them something came to his attention. A storyteller telling stories to a group of people! Gard walked towards the storyteller and he was able to hear what the old being was saying.

"Evabon are monsters!" The Storyteller's words cut Gard harder than any blade could. This prejudiced being, an owl of all things, did not notice as Gard moved closer. "They do not bleed when they are cut, they are all evil they drank the blood of Mumm-Ra turning dumb brutes into evil monsters!" Gard walked closer, the owl still not noticing. "That evil race is the result of an unholy union made when a half-giant mated with a goddess!" Gard walked closer, the owl either still not noticing him or ignoring him completely. "Beware of the most dangerous of them, the brothers Proyon and Gard. Procyon is a conqueror, a rebel and a tyrant! He conquers lands, rebels against the gods, treats his subjects like dirt! Gard is far worse however!" Gard stopped for a moment. He did not know what the owl would say. "He's a monster, an animal that does not think. Gard is dangerous and deadly. Beware him for Gard is a killer, a thief, a pagan and he eats the flesh of those he kills!"

"Big words for a death raptor that steals away children and old women in the night!" Gard entered the circle of people, the owl glaring at him. "What you speak is lies and superstitions! Believing in things such as gods, the stuff of fiction!"

"Blasphemer!" The owl walked towards Gard, a staff in his hand. Gard then drew the sword of his friend, there was a gasp from the crowd as people stood in fear of what the old savage was going to do. Then fear turned to confusion as everyone watched as Gard cut his own arm. There then came a gasp of awe as blood came from the cut.

"Do you still believe that we do not bleed?" Gard held out his arm up to the eyes of the owl. "Your stories demonize my people when in reality good and evil is everywhere!"

"You speak lies, monster!" cried the owl. At the sound of this the people started to grumble in annoyance with the owl.

"But to find the good you must be willing to look for it!" Gard's comment caused the owl to pull out a dagger. "If that's for carving a midnight snack out of children then I suggest that you put it away."

A moment passed and the owl walked away, as the angry people stared at him. Gard then walked towards the inn, returning to his want for properly cooked food.


	4. Chapter 4

**And now Procyon makes his debut. Call me cliché for Procyon's appearance but he does have to bear a resemblance to Gard. **

**The Sovereign**

It is an evabon belief that two sons of the same blood are two halves of the father. Such was Procyon, a red skinned evabon who resembled Gard, the second born of the two. With a natural mustache and a full beard, Procyon looked sinister and so he was. Raised by their grandfather, Gard had always been the favored of the two, considered to be unique. He was the people's hero, a grey skinned abomination, a freak accident! Procyon had conspired with his leader to ruin Gard's life, break him, make him feared and hated. They succeeded and Procyon began his barbaric conquest of Third Earth.

Now Procyon had based himself at the top of Mount Supmylo, reigning over all he had conquered with the belief that the evabon were a master race. For a time, the cats had beaten his hordes of warriors back but ever since the fall of Thundera, Procyon had found more and more competition in conquest, even members of his own races opposed him.

Procyon reigned as the sovereign of a great chunk of third earth, but yet there was someone who still stood in his way. Legends and rumors had come that said Gard had come out of exile, helping those in need, considered by the masses to be a Half-God sent to help them. One of his raiders had claimed to have encountered Gard and now an owl had come to Procyon, claiming that Gard had arrived in a nearby town or village.

"And now you come to me because my abomination of a brother has humiliated you before your fellows?" asked Procyon. The owl was shaking before Procyon. Procyon's throne room was made up of things taken from conquered places, with the throne in particular looking like it had been taken from Thundera in its early years before the cats had beaten them back across the great river. The owl was not looking at the things taken from Procyon's conquests but at the stuffed and mounted heads of Procyon's enemies. "Answer!" The owl jumped in fear.

"Yes…" The owl said, whining the whole time. "O, my great Lord Procyon… the Invincible!" The owl trembled before Procyon, hoping the stories of his bloodlust were not true. "The way… I see it… is if I deliver Gard to you then I might live to be your second-in-command." Procyon's eyes looked down at the owl, clearly not amused. "Servant?" The look in Procyon's eyes did not change. "Personal slave?" Still no change in his eyes. "Spy?" Procyon placed a hand on his jaw and started to think.

"Yes." Procyon's voice rumbled throughout the throne room. "My little brother's ferocity in battle has most likely not diminished. As much as I would like to crush his skull with my bare hands just as I did with our grandfather, my brother's ferocity would come in handy with conquest. Go!" Procyon pointed at the owl. "Go and keep an eye on my brother! Return when you have seen enough." The owl bowed before Procyon and left, leaving the savage noble alone with his guards.


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome back! Now this is where things are going to get heartwarming and tear jerking. Don't believe me? Well you can be the judge of that.**

**Childhood Memories**

The next couple of days Gard spent most of his time helping around the town. There were some whom doubted he truly was Gard. That was to be expected, mythology and rumor had spread throughout Third Earth. Some believed him to be a hulking figure, several feet taller than his actual height: Six feet and ten inches. One such was an old blind cat named Lynx-O.

Lynx-O was apparently from Thundera. How he got all the way out here had Gard baffled. It was puzzling, not so much as Lynx-O not believing that Gard was truly Gard. While Procyon had placed himself firmly in reality, it seemed that Gard had faded away into myth and legend.

Some believed him to be a Half-God.

Some believed him to be a God of Strength.

Some believed him to be an evil Sovereign.

Then there was some who believed Gard to be a bogeyman, a demon, a monster a evil spirit something otherworldly. How much those names had hurt him.

It seemed that Lynx-O believed Gard was a God of Strength.

A God of Strength? How much that reminded Gard of his grandfather. A being whom seemed so strong, so strong that he seemed almost invincible, much like Procyon.

Gard's grandfather, whose name was lost to time, was said to have been a mighty warrior. So mighty that he spent fourteen years of his life laboring for his chieftain: slaying enemies. Gard's grandfather had been kind to his grandsons, showing particular favoritism towards Gard.

It was on one particular night, that Gard looked up into the sky and saw a constellation. He remembered that constellation well. It was in the form of a mount and rider. It made him think of when he was very young, a mere child. He remembered when he was stargazing with his grandfather. He had said: "Grandfather, when we die, we go up to the stars don't we?"

"Could be, my boy, could be." His grandfather's voice rang through Gard's memory. It was like Gard's was now.

"Then if we get lost, let's me there, alright?" That question… Gard had lived for so long that he wondered if he would ever meet his grandfather there.

"Alright." Gard stopped remembering that moment. A different memory came in: the memory of his grandfather's funeral. How painful it had been for him. The murderer had been Procyon, Gard's own brother. His elder brother by nineteen years, Procyon had murdered their grandfather. There was no rule against such a thing in evabon culture. It hurt Gard the whole memory hurt him. There was no law against a grandson murdering a grandfather, but there was a law against two brothers fighting to the death. How would Gard ever find a peaceful way to deal with his brother? For their grandfather's sake, how would he? Oh, how he missed his grandfather so much!


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I'm back. Currently, I'm working on two fan fictions at the same time: this one and one for Detentionaire, so forgive me if you find the quality of recent chapters decreasing because I've twice the workload.**

**A History Lesson**

Gard and Procyon had become well known to Third Earth during their long lives. Gard had become known either as a monstrous beast who lurked in the wilderness or as a cruel God of Strength that played the mortals for his sport. While it was clear that Gard was neither, Procyon was different still from how the people of Third Earth viewed him.

It all began centuries, if not millennia before the fall of Thundera. Barbarian hordes feasted on the dying El Dara Empire. The most dangerous of these invaders were an evabon clan known as the Maliw, and their ferocious chieftain, Procyon. After pouring out of the steppes of the Ozup Mountains, the Maliw looted, burned and became more powerful than El Dara, which ultimately was forced to pay tribute to Procyon. While in truth, Procyon had nearly succeeded in his conquest back then if not for the outcome of the final battle that eventually made him vanish from the world for thirty-six years.

In the records, it is stated that all of Procyon's warriors were slain but vaguely stated that the leader of the opposing side had been slain as well. There were actually two leaders. One was Leon-O of El Dara the other was Gryphon, Gard's son and Procyon's nephew. Leon-O had enlisted the aid of Gryphon and his warriors with the belief that to defeat evabon he needed the aid of evabon.

Many assume that it had been Leon-O who had been slain, slain by Procyon's own hand in a final effort at victory before being forced to flee with his life. In reality, it was Gryphon who had been slain, not by the hands of his uncle but by the hands of Leon-O who believed that Gryphon was just as bad as Procyon.

As brutish as he was, something in his bloodthirsty mind told Procyon that it would be wrong to allow his nephew's body to be disgraced by the people of El Dara, so he retrieved Gryphon's body.

Procyon ran, he ran far from El Dara swearing vengeance for the death of his nephew, for Procyon had lost both his wife and infant son in childbirth and viewed Gryphon as much as a son as Gard had. So he took Gryphon to the Valley of the Tombs, a great evabon burial place from the time when evabon had been the masters of third earth, and Procyon buried Gryphon.

Procyon did eventually return. More bloodthirsty than ever he returned to El Dara with an army of three thousand strong evabon warriors. And so El Dara fell and Procyon took his vengeance. He did not just slay Leon-O but he had every man, woman and child in El Dara slain. Unfortunately, just like El Dara itself, this deed was forgotten. El Dara would in a way be rediscovered through a picture by young WilyKat of Thundera, but its brutal fall would only be remembered by Procyon.

It was during this time that Gard had spent his first year in exile, still mourning the death of his wife, not knowing of the death of his son.

The fall of El Dara was not entirely tragic however. The few people who had escaped eventually went on to found Thundera.

Procyon had changed when El Dara fell. He had carved Gryphon's insignia, a lightning bolt, into his right arm and swore that what started with El Dara would continue with all cities that persecuted his race. Thus Procyon's bloodlust became legendary as he conquered and massacred city after city, leaving the towns and villages alone believing them to be harmless, eventually coming to live on Mount Supmylo.

While all this was happening, Gard had quite literally in every definition of the word, become mad from either isolation or separation from his people. He had become insane and angry, attacking anything he came across, eventually resorting back to normal when he threatened a young child who had wandered too deep into the wilderness. It was around this time that Gard heard of Procyon's campaign and how from living on Third Earth's tallest mountain he had come to think of himself as a god. He never learned of his son's death however and maybe never will. Out of shock of what Procyon was doing, Gard attempted to rejoin the world only to be welcomed harshly. He tried time and time again, only to receive the same welcome, thus Gard began to become even more angry at the the outside world, even after his betrayal from the early Thundercats and other animals. Eventually he came to be viewed as a monster just like Procyon, with no one knowing the tragic reasons for how they became the way they were.

At one point it was believed the two brothers were in fact one and the same. It was discovered though that they were not and to some Gard became regarded as a fairy tale, a superstition, a legend, something that was to be feared and hated something that might or might not be real. Procyon was regarded as a serious threat however he was very real to the people of Third Earth. Who would dare defy this Sovereign? The Army of Thundera had once forced him back once but they would not lay siege to his mountain fortress, as long as Procyon held the high ground he was unbeatable. Once in his youth, Claudus had attempted to defeat Procyon but failed, surviving with a few soldiers and receiving a scar across his nose.

By the time Lion-O had been born, there was a very popular legend that said Gard and Procyon could only die if one was slain by the other in combat. So all anticipated the day the two titans would eventually clash. Gard knew the evabon law that said two brothers could not fight to the death as did Procyon, who as much as wanted too, could not kill his brother. So there was doubt if the two would clash.


	7. Chapter 7

**We now return the plot and so does the Drifter. Enjoy.**

**When Brothers Meet**

Weeks passed, the Drifter returned, the owl continued with his spying and suddenly one day who should arrive in the town but Procyon, unaccompanied by any of his warriors. Many of the townspeople looked at him in terror, knowing fully well who he was. He walked along until he found Gard with Lynx-O and the Drifter underneath a great tree.

"So you're really Gard?" The Drifter tilted his head. "Alright then."

"You don't sound shocked or disappointed." Gard starred in disbelief at the Drifter. What was wrong with him? He never met a drifter like him before, the same but also different.

"Why should I be?" Gard blinked at the Drifter's response. "You are who you are." The Drifter's words were full of wisdom. Lynx-O let out a sigh.

"If only I could still see." Gard understood Lynx-O's lament. Gard was half-blind and could not imagine being fully blind. "Then I could see you whom are believed to be a monster. In the weeks that passed you told us about Procyon when you knew him."

"Knew him?" Gard, Lynx-O and the Drifter turned their heads in Procyon's direction. His voice was deep and commanding, there was no doubt it was him! Gard knew his brother, Lynx-O knew of Procyon and the Drifter had seen him once when he was quite literally drifting around. "You say that as if I had just died, blind one." Lynx-O gripped the grass around him Procyon must have thought him weak if he was blind he did not want to make a fatal mistake.

"Hail, great warrior!" Gard saluted Procyon.

"Hail, great warrior!" Returned Procyon. Lynx-O and the Drifter both made note of the salutations, wondering how two brothers with so much animosity between one another could greet each other so calmly.

"You have come to speak with me?" Procyon nodded at Gard's question. "What about?" Procyon looked at Lynx-O and the Drifter with mixed feelings.

"Nothing to say in the presence of ones of the lowest birth." Lynx-O growled at Procyon's comment. The Drifter stayed calm. Gard breathed and heavy breathe and looked up at Procyon.

"What you have to say can be said in the presence of those whose birth is the same as yours." Procyon's eyes looked at Gard coldly. "Remember, big brother, no matter the race all life begins in a womb and ends in a tomb." Procyon sighed, having little love for his brother as a philosopher or a poet. "You may sit if you wish." Procyon hesitated but eventually he did sat down. "Now what have you…" Gard stopped talking as he noticed the lightning bolt scar on Procyon's right arm.

"I've come to ask you to join me." Procyon looked at Lynx-O and the Drifter and then looked back at Gard. He felt uneasy, it seemed like Gard was coming to the heartbreaking realization. "As brother's we should work together." Procyon swallowed. "Together we can put and end to our people's persecution."

"Where is my son?" Gard's question cut deep into Procyon's heart. "Where is Gryphon?" Procyon stood up and began to walk away. Rage began to build up in Gard. Almost without getting up he tackled Procyon to the ground. Procyon shuddered as Gard turned him over so they could look each other in the eyes. "You killed him!" The anger in Gard's voice was terrifying. All present felt fear in their hearts as Gard's anger showed itself. "You killed my son the same as you killed our grandfather!"

"Gard, please!" Procyon spoke with much difficulty. Gard had placed his hands around his throat, making it difficult for Procyon to breath.

"Don't make excuses!" Gard struggled as Lynx-O and the Drifter began to separate him from Procyon. "We are no longer brothers. I will not kill in cold blood but if you should ever try to attack this town know that I will kill you." Gard released his brother. Procyon then left with fear in his heart over the misunderstanding. He had never seen so much anger in Gard, the usually coolheaded grey skin had became a hotheaded being.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here we are again with another Procyon centric chapter. This chapter just doesn't include Procyon but Mumm-Ra as well.**

**The Beast Within Released**

Procyon walked back into his throne room. He was shaking in fear and his men noticed. As they all muttered to one another, a cloaked figure walked in. As Procyon ordered his men out of his throne room, the red eyes of the cloaked figure scanned Procyon's body. The scars showed what kind of a person he was. By the time Procyon noticed the stranger, the stranger was sitting upon his throne.

It is believed by the evabon that two sons of the same blood are two halves of the same father. Right now, Procyon's temper that was once his father's was burning. It was obvious, it was all in the eyes, his body language with clenched fists, a more animalistic stance, it was all there, his father's temper was a part of him, it had become his temper since his father died.

"Get out of my throne, vagabond!" Procyon growled at the stranger, even with his voice Procyon's temper was clear.

"Ah, so you have a temper, I like it!" The stranger spoke in a raspy, high-pitched voice. The very sound of the words coming from it made Procyon think of either a bat or a snake. "But is your bloodlust still there?"

"You dare to mock me?" Procyon drew his sword, a rusted thing that he had taken from one of his conquests. "If you've come to die, old one, then you've come to the right place!"

"Is that a threat?" The tone in the stranger's voice was something that irritated Procyon. He hated being mocked, he always did he always would.

"I don't make threats, I make promises!" Procyon began to walk towards the figure. "Now just who do you think you are? From my father I inherited a temper and vengeful nature. You have seen my temper and all of Third Earth knows my vengeance, now I command you to identify yourself!" The stranger laughed. Procyon growled in response to this.

"You command me?" The stranger continued to laugh. "I know perfectly well whom you are, Procyon." Procyon pointed his sword at the stranger's throat. "It is you who don't know who I am."

"What makes any particular beggar different from another?" Procyon's eyes were fixated on the stranger's throat. He dared question Procyon's bloodlust?

"Beggar?" The sudden anger in the stranger's voice did not impress Procyon. All Procyon was thinking about was what this old bag of bones wanted. "You fool, I am Mumm-Ra!" Procyon burst into laughter at this.

"Mumm-Ra?" He continued to laugh. "I wasn't born yesterday!" Procyon lowered his sword a bit, still laughing. "You would make a fine jester!" Hate started to show in the stranger's eyes and the next thing that Procyon knew was horrible pain.

Procyon knew what he had done wrong, but he would not beg. Mumm-Ra's lightning was the most painful thing that he had ever felt. Still gripping his sword, Procyon felt something dark in his heart, something that he knew very well. This time it would not fade away, Mumm-Ra had seen to that.

Procyon looked up at Mumm-Ra, a glint in his eyes, something otherworldly, something full of anger, hunger and fear, the one thing that could be a danger to Procyon: his own bloodlust.

Procyon stood up, ignoring the pain completely, his appearance seeming to become more beast-like, Procyon held his sword aloft, let out a roar and charged.

At the sight of this, for the first time in his life, Mumm-Ra felt fear. His plan was to use Procyon's bloodlust to his advantage but now he knew that Procyon's bloodlust was too powerful. Mumm-Ra knew that if he were to survive, then he would have no choice but to retreat and so he did, very mysteriously.

At the disappearance of Mumm-Ra, Procyon looked around, in search of something to kill. Then he heard something someone had entered his throne room. He turned around and saw his spy, the owl standing there. A cruel, twisted smile formed on Procyon's face and before the owl knew what had happened, Procyon pounced. Before he died, the owl let out a cry of "Monster!"

Procyon then looked up as his warriors, shamans and advisors entered. The horror-stricken looks on their faces as they realized that their leader had descended into eternal madness only angered Procyon.

He massacred his own followers and with doing so, Procyon forgot the mission he had embarked on. He was forever lost to what Mumm-Ra had unleashed. This would be his legacy.

Once the massacre was over, there was one thing of Procyon's mind: Gard. What of his brother? Where was he now? Was he still a threat? Was he not? He couldn't remember, his bloodlust had erased such recent memories. He only wanted to find his brother. What would he do then? He did not know. His bloodlust made everything so confusing.

Procyon then looked around. Where was he? This was not the great cavern of his clan. What was wrong with him? He felt like he was in a mist. If only he could remember. Procyon then looked at his sword. Where had he gotten it? This was not evabon made. He walked outside. He didn't recognize any of the surroundings, how had he come to this mountain? Where was his grandfather? Where was his little brother? The only thing he could remember was a cloaked stranger sending lightning at him, then bloodshed! Where was Gard, his brother? Where was his grandfather, the great warrior? Where was he?

Deep down, there was something bothering him. Was there something wrong with him? Why did he have such an urge to kill? Why couldn't he remember some things? What had the stranger done to him?


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome back, guys. Hope you enjoy the build up to the climax that will start with this chapter. Oh, and for those of you that are interested in knowing, I have decided to have this be a trilogy of fan fics that I shall call the Gard Trilogy, it will conclude with The Power of Mumm-Ra.**

**Diplomacy Not Violence**

Gard sat in deep concentration. Across from him sat Lynx-O, thinking deeply. At least that was what Gard thought.

"Your move." Gard sighed. Lynx-O and him had first met through a trade of insults in alphabetical order. Now, more than ever they were stumped.

"Abomination." Lynx-O had used the same word the first time they traded insults. He and Gard both agreed that there could not be another insult that started with 'A'.

"Big ears." Gard gave a witty grin. He was able to bend the rules.

"Cyclops." Lynx-O believed he could hear the grin leave Gard's face. He never should have told Lynx-O he was half blind.

"Demon." Gard had once played this game with Panthro. He had to admit that Lynx-O was just as good as Panthro, maybe better.

"I gi- Exile." Lynx-O smiled. He wasn't beaten yet.

"Fake." Gard wasn't beaten yet either. He had a long life of playing this game.

"Gross one." Lynx-O laughed as he heard Gard sigh in defeat. 'H' was always a hard letter. He then heard Gard pound his fist against a table. Lynx-O laughed again.

"Laugh it up, hairball!" Gard sighed. "I've got a lot on my mind."

"Like what?" Lynx-O had stopped laughing the moment Gard had called him hairball. He hated that. "What do you have on my mind?"

"I just can't believe that Procyon killed my son Gryphon." Gard was choked up. He was taking this very hard. "My son, gone." Gard sighed a heavy sigh. "I loved my son and daughter equally, I just never thought either of them would die. My family filled my life with such meaning. Then Procyon felt jealousy, the loss of both his wife and child made him jealous me and then his bloodlust turned him into a monster." Gard stayed silent for a moment.

"Who was the first victim of his bloodlust?" Lynx-O could not imagine his friend being like this. He wanted him to be the way he should be, full of life for one so old.

"Our… My grandfather." Gard's mind was racing. The sadness in his heart was unbearable. "When he came out of it, Procyon nearly had a mental breakdown." Gard hid his face in his hands. "I viewed him as a murderer, now that I'm older I see him for who he is."

"What is that?" Lynx-O needed to know the answer. He had to fully understand his friend.

"A sad misfit like myself." Gard's answer brought Lynx-O to a full understanding. When he had been young and able to see, Lynx-O had viewed the evabon as monsters, now he truly understood what they were: a collection of noble savages and savage nobles, full of heroes and villains, many of them tragic.

"What shall you do now?" That was an answer that Lynx-O needed. He had to know how the brothers would end their feud.

"My heart tells me that a peaceful solution is what has to be done." Gard breathed. It would be hard but it was the right thing to do. "Diplomacy is the way, it is how Third Earth will be saved from Procyon's conquest." As Gard said that there was one thing that made him wonder. What if diplomacy wasn't an option? What if Procyon's bloodlust had taken over, permanently? Would he truly be able to kill his own brother, even to save Third Earth or to save Procyon from his own bloodlust?

He did not know. Long ago, a shaman had said that Procyon's bloodlust would get worse and worse until it had taken over him completely. Gard hoped that it had not happened. He did not want to kill his own brother, he just didn't. The way the bloodlust affected Procyon's mind, all of this need to conquest and massacre was not Procyon talking, it was the bloodlust.

What would Gard do if diplomacy failed? What would he do if the bloodlust had taken over?


	10. Chapter 10

**We now return to Procyon in this chapter. He's really changed from how I originally intended him to be, going from a complete monster to a tragic villain, your mileage may vary on whether or not he has become a tragic villain but that is what I'm aiming at. Oh, and forgive me for not giving Gard's and Procyon's grandfather a description. I feel that I might have gone cliché with that part.**

**Punishment**

Procyon ran through a forest. With his sword still in hand and still in the grip of his bloodlust, Procyon began to change both physically and mentally. He was covered in the blood of his people black in color it caused Procyon to panic. He did not want it to become part of his skin. The red blood of the owl had blended in with his skin there was nothing for him to worry about.

In his state of panic, Procyon was unaware of the raven watching him. A small black bird, starring at him with critical eyes, to the bird Procyon was no more alive than the sword he wielded.

The bird watched as Procyon stumbled about. In search of water to wash the blood from his body Procyon was starting to become desperate. If he had to he'd wash it off with the blood of another creature.

Finally, Procyon came to a river, nice and silent. The blood of his brethren was starting to dry! It was all happening too fast!

Within the blink of an eye, Procyon jumped into the water! The water was icy cold, so much that it felt like a kick in the gut!

When he emerged from the water, Procyon screamed a bestial scream. The blood was still there! He looked up to the moon and in his ill mind he saw a skull over the moon and he heard evil laughter.

This was his punishment for all the death he had caused.

Procyon then looked over at the riverbank and his eyes widened in horror. Standing there were the ghosts of those he had killed, all of them! Standing at the front of the phantom legion was Gard's and Procyon's grandfather, a mighty being who was beyond physical description.

"Join us." The ghosts spoke in unison and a chill went down Procyon's spine. Who knows whether or not the bloodlust that Procyon was in the grip of caused him to imagine this or if the ghosts were truly there before but Procyon only knew one thing: he was angry.

Procyon leapt from the river and started to slash at the ghosts. It might have been pointless but Procyon was not himself.

Once Procyon finished with his pointless action, he was once again alone. The raven had seen all of this, watching with cruel pleasure as Procyon went through his punishment.

That sad savage thing with no greater ambition than conquest slumped down beneath a tree. Procyon had brought all of this upon himself, creating a legacy of terror, bloodshed and death. It should have been different for him, his parents should have smothered him in the cradle, spared him the suffering he was now forced to go through! The more Procyon thought about it, the more he feared death. Procyon feared death because he feared being forgotten. Would death be better than this punishment? He did not know. The only thing Procyon knew was that he had become a monster, feared and hated, his fate known to all: to spend the rest of his life alone in the dark.


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome back, gang. Now forgive me for spoiling the ending but would it be acceptable for me to have Procyon die upon his own sword or would having him fall be more acceptable? Just want a Shakespearean death for Procyon and I'm wondering if the sword choice is acceptable with the rating I've got and I don't want to change my rating.**

**Forgotten**

Gard heard the cry of his brother and knew that something was wrong. Beside him stood Lynx-O and the Drifter. They watched as Gard breathed in the night air. Gard sighed knowing full well what happened.

"Procyon has been taken over by his bloodlust." Gard breathed again. He was puzzled. "This time it is unnatural." Lynx-O listened with curiosity. How could Gard know if Procyon's bloodlust was natural or not? "Someone forced him into this one." Lynx-O and the Drifter had become equally puzzled at this comment. Who? Why? "Lynx-O you stay here, Drifter gather some townspeople into a search party. Diplomacy won't be of any use now, I've got to try and save my brother or release him from his bloodlust." Gard jumped into the night sky, leaving both Lynx-O and the Drifter stunned at how high he jumped.

Gard entered the forest surrounding Mount Supmylo. He knew Procyon was somewhere in this area. He just didn't know where.

A smell came to Gard's nose. It was familiar, it was what Procyon smelled of: blood. He then heard something. Gard looked up and saw a black bird with red eyes. He stared at it. There was something terribly sinister about the bird, something otherworldly.

Gard then heard another thing. Something loud. He turned around and saw an evabon with red and black skin. Black skin? Gard smelled the scent of blood and knew that it was Procyon. Filled with both anger and fear, Procyon was unable to get out of the bloodlust and so the two brothers starred at one another. Gard recognized Procyon but Procyon did not seem to recognize Gard.

"Greetings, stranger." Procyon raised a hand in salutations. The bloodlust had affected his mind greatly. "What clan do you come from?"

"The Gille clan." Gard was lying. He had come from the Maliw clan just like Procyon had, it had been lead by the cruel and manipulative Donnchad once. Gard breathed. "My name is Ignam, what is yours?" A surprised look came across Procyon's face.

"I don't know." Gard was surprised too but he did not show it. It was unfortunate but it seemed the bloodlust had affected Procyon so much that Gard's older brother was forgetting so many things. This was tragic, just tragic.


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome back, gang. Not much to say this time. Enjoy.**

**A Talk Between Brothers**

Gard had brought Procyon to a small cave. He had made a fire and found a large melon nearby. As the two talked over their pieces of fruit, Gard tried to make sense of everything.

"So, you say you don't know your name?" Gard was unsure if Procyon was to be believed or if his bloodlust had truly caused him to forget.

"I remember the name Antaeus but I know that's not my name." Procyon looked down at the piece of the melon he had. "Antaeus, Gryphon, Donnchad, Gard, none of those are my names." Procyon chuckled. "I have a younger brother named Gard, if only I could remember what he looked like."

"Why?" Gard had found out many interesting things. The bloodlust had caused much memory loss. It would seem that Procyon had been in the grip of his bloodlust for a few hours at least. Very interesting.

"I haven't seen him for nearly twelve years." Gard blinked. Procyon was mentioning the time he had been away at war with another clan. "His grey skin is most fascinating like yours." Gard started to wonder. How had Procyon not realized that it was he? "He should be thirty-one right now since I'm fifty." That explained so much. Procyon thought he was young not the age he was now. It explained why Procyon did not recognize his own brother but not why or even how he had forgotten his own name. "I never told him this but even though we've had our differences I've always been proud of him. My leader has been filling my mind with strange thoughts, saying that there is a darkness within me and that Gard means to murder me and that I must break his spirit. I don't know what to think. It is true I killed my grandfather in a fit of madness but I simply don't know what to think of myself." Gard listened and learned. He now understood his brother. He now knew that Procyon did not kill his son Procyon was strongly loyal to his family but could be manipulated as well.

"It's sad isn't it?" Gard spoke slowly. "The more our kind are oppressed and persecuted by the other races the more we keep fighting amongst ourselves. The war against that other clan is just an example. I've been a slave, gladiator, friend and ally to members of other races and I've seen that no matter the race, good and evil are everywhere."

"That is very wise." Procyon nodded in agreement. This was a rare moment for them. The last good moment between them had been when Gard was ten. "I always had trouble with listening to shamans and their religious babbling, maybe I should find more philosophers to talk with." Procyon groaned. "Now I'm starting to think of my cousin, younger than Gard." Gard knew what Procyon was talking about. Gard and Procyon's cousin had been someone that was violent for the sheer sake of it. Thomeheb was his name, not cursed with bloodlust like Procyon which had caused him to think of conquest Thomeheb fought because he loved to do it, he fought for sport. "He never thought much about philosophy. But tell me what is your philosophy on life and death? We are warriors and we must wonder about things like that."

"I stopped wondering about that long ago." Gard placed a hand on the cave floor. "Life and death are two halves of another ending circle, out of life comes death and out of death comes life, there is no end and no beginning." Procyon, still not recognizing Gard, nodded.

"Makes me feel better." Procyon sighed and looked out of the cave. "Ever since I killed my grandfather, I've been worrying about what will happen to me when I die, be it in battle or from an illness. What you said makes me think about who I am, who will come from my death, whose death did I come from? Life, death and rebirth, I like the sound of that." Gard smiled, happy to see Procyon as he was truly meant to be, not at war with others or with himself, just as himself.


	13. Chapter 13

**Welcome back, gang. Here we are at the climax of the story, Mumm-Ra included. Calaban from The Savage Heart gets a mention in this chapter. Enjoy.**

**The Death of Procyon**

A sound came the ears of the two evabon. The sound of footsteps! Procyon turned his head to see a familiar face, the corpse-like being from before: Mumm-Ra. Procyon's rage began to build up as he saw the one who had tortured him a while ago.

"I remember you!" Procyon's eyes, there was something about his eyes. Gard saw it and he understood that if Procyon's bloodlust were to take control, Procyon would not be able to tell friend from foe. "Mumm-Ra!" Mumm-Ra nodded, an evil smile upon his face.

"You're not done yet." Mumm-Ra's voice was torture to Procyon's ears. "When I demand beasts to fight with beasts, they fight!" Mumm-Ra then let fired lightning upon Procyon. The look in the red evabon's eyes was one of anger, hunger and fear. He drew his sword and rushed towards Mumm-Ra whom vanished. In the grip of his bloodlust, Procyon turned his head and looked at Gard.

Gard let out a sad sigh and drew his own sword. He did not want to fight against his own brother but it would seem that Mumm-Ra had forced Procyon into the grip of his own bloodlust. Procyon could not be reasoned with in this state.

Procyon charged at Gard and instead of finding metal against metal, Procyon felt a punch to the face. Knocked back and in a daze, Procyon watched as Gard retreated from the cave they had been in.

Gard ran deep into the forest, Procyon in pursuit. Gard hid behind a tree, hoping to ambush his brother so he could hold Procyon down. The way he figured, why should he kill his own brother when there was an alternative: wait for when Procyon was no longer affected by bloodlust.

A noise came to Gard's ears. A noise from above, in another tree! Gard turned to look at the tree. Was it Procyon? Another noise then came to Gard's ears. Gard turned to look at a large bush. Procyon could have been the author of that noise also.

A twig snapped! Gard turned around to look and saw not Procyon but a creature not unlike his companion Calaban but blue in color and smaller, a female. Gard smiled and kneeled to pat the beast's head. "Hey, girl, you haven't seen a crazed evabon have you?" The she-beast tilted her head, not understanding the question she let out a bark. "Shush!" Gard looked around, expecting Procyon to attack soon. He did. Procyon jumped down from a nearby and instead of killing Gard ended up killing the she-beast instead. Without flinching, Procyon turned to look at his brother, not even recognizing Gard.

Procyon's eyes were blank, expressionless, dead inside. Procyon raised his sword and pointed at Gard's sword before attacking. The grey evabon then defended with his own sword and pushed the red evabon away. Gard didn't want to kill Procyon, he just didn't.

Gard threw his sword aside. For a short moment, Procyon was puzzled. He lowered his sword, curious about what his brother had just done. Then the moment was gone and Procyon attacked once more. Instead of going for his sword, Gard retreated with Procyon pursuing him. The chase was long and hard and the two ultimately came to a Cliffside.

As Gard looked down the cliff, trying to figure a way down that would not involve his neck being broken he felt something slash his right arm. Gard looked at his brother and saw his own blood upon Procyon's sword. That black liquid, seeping down the rusted blade caught the eye of the red evabon. The eyes filled with anger, hunger and fear returned to how they naturally were. Dropping his sword, Procyon fell to his knees.

"I'm not safe among the living." Procyon hid his face in his hands. The sad revelation of what Procyon was had affected him so deeply that he knew there was only one thing he could do. "You know have your path, Gard and I have mine." Picking up his sword, Procyon walked to the Cliffside, raised his arms to the sky with his sword in his right hand and looked at Gard. "The Sovereign of Mount Supmylo dies so all of Third Earth might live!" Gard ran toward Procyon but was too late. Procyon leaned back and fell into the chasm below. Gard looked down, tears flowing from his eyes. He alone knew the truth he alone knew that Procyon was a tragic figure, not a monster.


	14. Chapter 14

**And here we are at the end. Hope you enjoy it and are ready for next week when I begin the final part of my trilogy: The Power of Mumm-Ra.**

**Funeral For A Brother**

Gard looked at the raft that Procyon lay on. Holding a torch, he lit the dry leaves around his brother and set the raft out upon a lake. Standing with him was the Drifter and Lynx-O.

"So in the end, Procyon overcame himself." Lynx-O's blind eyes had the fire reflected in them. It caused them to look like they were glowing.

"One would expect that Nature would stand up and say to all the world 'This was a Warrior!'" The Drifter starred out at the raft as it went out ever further. These three knew the truth about Procyon, they would be the ones to tell it.

"Well said, friend Hattanzo." Gard drew his sword, the sword of his friend Migro. The Drifter wondered how Gard could have known his name but suspected that he might have met Gard before and not realized it. "I now return this sword to my friend Migro, buried at sea, it is only fitting that it lay in a lake." Gard threw the sword into the lake and let out a deep sigh. "Tragic, noble two. May they rest in peace." Procyon and Migro could now rest in peace. Procyon was free from his bloodlust and the sword of Migro had been returned to the water where its owner had been buried.

"What now?" Gard turned to look at Lynx-O. "What will you do now?"

"I think I might…" Gard trailed off as he heard something. The sound of running footsteps! Gard's head turned to where the sound was coming from, his good eye starring at a group of trees, the beginning of a forest. His good eye starred as if he was expecting an enemy but to his surprise, an evabon child emerged, a boy who could be no more than eight. The look in Gard's eye changed to one of surprise. This boy had grey skin like himself, black hair like himself, blue eyes like himself. It was uncanny. This boy was not bald like him, clearly he wasn't of a clan that shaved their head of course Gard had gone bald with age. He lacked the heavy scarring in fact there was no scars on this boy whatsoever. He was not blind in his right eye. It caused Gard to wonder, had he looked like that when he was that young?

"You've got to help!" The boy was breathing heavily, he must have been running for hours. His voice didn't sound like chunks of granite being scraped together, it sounded like WilyKat's!

"What's the matter?" Gard was genuinely concerned about this boy. He didn't know why but there was something familiar about him.

"My village…" The boy breathed. "It is being raided on a weekly basis…" The boy breathed again, clearly out of breath from his long running. "By a gang of marauders…" The boy breathed again. "Lead by the Scourge of Mumm-Ra!" Gard rubbed his jaw in interest.

"Well now, that's something." Gard smiled and looked at Hattanzo and Lynx-O. "You two up for a bit of marauder fighting?" They both smiled back and Gard chuckled. "Never a dull moment! We'll help!"

**The End**

**And this is the end of Enter Procyon. I hoped you like it. Please note that the young evabon introduced here will be a major character in The Power of Mumm-Ra. I'm currently considering the name Bellerophon for him but I'll accept any suggestions for the name of this young grey skin, mainly since I think Bellerophon is too long. Until then next week, read and review!**


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